Flemke - Is this your McLaren? (Vol 5)

[Reg Local]

flemke said:

Reg,

By chance, one minute after writing the above I got a call from a man at McLaren, and even before I could enquire about it he happened to mention the road legality of "Track Mode".

He said there were two issues of which he was aware. One was that there seems to be a rule about the height of headlamps or maybe the height of the beam of light. Whichever, when the car is lowered it breaches that limit.
The other issue was that, in "Track Mode", the rear wing elevates and moves rearward. In moving rearward, it extends behind the rear of the body of the car, which is not allowed.
We discussed whether the above two factors would be "illegal" for personal road use or, rather, merely would fail in Type Approval for the manufacturer (if they were fixed features rather than being in an optional mode). He was not sure.
It would not surprise me if McLaren had said they were "Not legal for public road use" because they wished to emphasise that they are inadvisable for road use, rather than because they would be literally illegal if done by a private individual off his or her own bat.

So McLaren monitor this thread in real time and ring you as soon as you don't know the answer to a question? In anybody's book that's awesome customer service!!

Those issues all sound very much to me like type approval issues, rather than construction and use issues, so I suspect there would be no specific offences commited by a driver who chooses to use track mode on the road. Questions may be asked following a serious accident if the cars software was interrogated and it was found to be in a mode which the manufacturer had very clearly stated was not for use on the road. If the car tells you the mode you're selecting is not for road use and you subsequently use it and crash as a result, it could form part of the evidence that you were driving carelessly or dangerously.

I don't, however, thnk that there are traffic officers parked up and down the country, scanning the horizon for evidence of P1 drivers selectng an inappropriate driving mode!

I also suspect it would cover McLaren in situations such as the law suit currently being pursued against Porsche by the family of Paul Walker.

[Reg Local]

flemke said:

Btw, I tried to buy your book, but, being a disciple of Gutenberg rather than being a Kindle-kind-of-guy, there was no way that I could read it!

It's out in Paperback now Flemke!

PM me and I'll send you a signed copy.

I've just started a youtube channel as well if you're ever terminally bored...

[SydneyBridge]

Reg Local said:

So McLaren monitor this thread in real time and ring you as soon as you don't know the answer to a question? In anybody's book that's awesome customer service!!

Very impressive customer service indeed !!

[DannyScene]

SydneyBridge said:

Reg Local said:

So McLaren monitor this thread in real time and ring you as soon as you don't know the answer to a question? In anybody's book that's awesome customer service!!

Very impressive customer service indeed !!

Slightly worrying stalking I think, unless the guy at Mclaren is a PHer

[Joe911]

Reg Local said:

However, faced with the unlikely scenario of a LaFerrari or 918 pulling up next to you at the lights, I'd be tempted to press the button just to gain the psychological advantage!

They would be laughing at you from a mile away before you got the car into race mode

[Reg Local]

Joe911 said:

They would be laughing at you from a mile away before you got the car into race mode

Ah, long process then. I'll stick to glancing across to my opponent and then putting on a pair of racing gloves.

In my MX5.

Race me, bro!

[mikey k]

flemke said:

McAndy said:

What I've found interesting about the last few pages is how many of these "boutique" car manufacturers, as they have come to be known, have adopted business practices of questionable morality. We all know about Ferrari; McLaren seem not to give a toss any more, either; and Pagani did how many "last" Zondas? (Although I'm willing to stand corrected if that was merely the press cocking up reporting and not Horacio's claims.)

Are there any premium car manufacturers who make a quality product and then don't make you pay through the nose for the most ridiculous of things and/or quite simply lie regarding exclusivity?

None that come to mind!

They all aim to extract maximum profit

[McAndy]

flemke said:

None that come to mind!

Indeed not.

[McAndy]

flemke said:

Have had a CGT from new (but not crazy about it). Do not have a 918 but was very impressed by one in recent drive and since then have been seriously considering it.

Have you asked what they'd offer you on a P1 for part-ex?

[DannyScene]

Flemke, forgive me for asking what is probably a question you are sick of but have you done a readers cars for your entire fleet? or is there somewhere one could read about your collection of cars?

[Joe911]

flemke said:

Have had a CGT from new (but not crazy about it)

I know I suffer being enthusiastic about everything (that I can't afford) - but the CGT is the mutt's nuts. Never understood the lack of enthusiasm ... it's a proper car. Maybe not perfect - but sensational - something to make you really feel alive (or in danger of your life). Fantastic machine ... needs to be driven, in anger.

[DannyScene]

Joe911 said:

flemke said:

Have had a CGT from new (but not crazy about it)

I know I suffer being enthusiastic about everything (that I can't afford) - but the CGT is the mutt's nuts. Never understood the lack of enthusiasm ... it's a proper car. Maybe not perfect - but sensational - something to make you really feel alive (or in danger of your life). Fantastic machine ... needs to be driven, in anger.

Tell that to Paul Walker

[flemke]

Reg Local said:

flemke said:

Btw, I tried to buy your book, but, being a disciple of Gutenberg rather than being a Kindle-kind-of-guy, there was no way that I could read it!

It's out in Paperback now Flemke!

PM me and I'll send you a signed copy.

I've just started a youtube channel as well if you're ever terminally bored...

I cannot PM you or anyone via PH because when my account was set up I asked Dave to block the private e-mil function. I'll find another means. What part of the country are you in?
I'll look for Youtube channel, thanks.

[flemke]

mikey k said:

flemke said:

McAndy said:

What I've found interesting about the last few pages is how many of these "boutique" car manufacturers, as they have come to be known, have adopted business practices of questionable morality. We all know about Ferrari; McLaren seem not to give a toss any more, either; and Pagani did how many "last" Zondas? (Although I'm willing to stand corrected if that was merely the press cocking up reporting and not Horacio's claims.)

Are there any premium car manufacturers who make a quality product and then don't make you pay through the nose for the most ridiculous of things and/or quite simply lie regarding exclusivity?

None that come to mind!

They all aim to extract maximum profit

Interestingly, it is my impression that when a manufacturer of "normal" cars make their own occasional "supercar" (Lexus, Honda, Ford), they do not take the P nearly as much. That has certainly been my experience with Honda.

[flemke]

DannyScene said:

Flemke, forgive me for asking what is probably a question you are sick of but have you done a readers cars for your entire fleet? or is there somewhere one could read about your collection of cars?

I'm not trying to be rude, but I have intentionally not done that. Through the years various individual cars have been mentioned on here and that's how I like to keep it.
Cheers.

[flemke]

Joe911 said:

flemke said:

Have had a CGT from new (but not crazy about it)

I know I suffer being enthusiastic about everything (that I can't afford) - but the CGT is the mutt's nuts. Never understood the lack of enthusiasm ... it's a proper car. Maybe not perfect - but sensational - something to make you really feel alive (or in danger of your life). Fantastic machine ... needs to be driven, in anger.

As to the reliability of your judgment, one need only look at your choice of friends....

[Joe911]

flemke said:

As to the reliability of your judgment, one need only look at your choice of friends....

I have a choice?
One takes what one can get.

[DannyScene]

flemke said:

DannyScene said:

Flemke, forgive me for asking what is probably a question you are sick of but have you done a readers cars for your entire fleet? or is there somewhere one could read about your collection of cars?

I'm not trying to be rude, but I have intentionally not done that. Through the years various individual cars have been mentioned on here and that's how I like to keep it.
Cheers.

Not being rude in the slightest mate, I can see many reasons for not doing it tbh, was just asking on the off chance

[mikey k]

flemke said:

mikey k said:

flemke said:

McAndy said:

What I've found interesting about the last few pages is how many of these "boutique" car manufacturers, as they have come to be known, have adopted business practices of questionable morality. We all know about Ferrari; McLaren seem not to give a toss any more, either; and Pagani did how many "last" Zondas? (Although I'm willing to stand corrected if that was merely the press cocking up reporting and not Horacio's claims.)

Are there any premium car manufacturers who make a quality product and then don't make you pay through the nose for the most ridiculous of things and/or quite simply lie regarding exclusivity?

None that come to mind!

They all aim to extract maximum profit

Interestingly, it is my impression that when a manufacturer of "normal" cars make their own occasional "supercar" (Lexus, Honda, Ford), they do not take the P nearly as much. That has certainly been my experience with Honda.

Fair point and probably because the "normal" guys have far deeper pockets
Your NSX and my S2000 do prove your point rather well

[Reg Local]

flemke said:

I cannot PM you or anyone via PH because when my account was set up I asked Dave to block the private e-mil function. I'll find another means. What part of the country are you in?
I'll look for Youtube channel, thanks.

I'm in the North West Highlands of England - Lancashire.

If you get one of your friends who's a PH member to PM me with a postal address, I'll stick a copy in the mail for you.